This is the Year
by LuLu Was Here
Summary: Tori has a New Year's Eve party. Will she get kissed at midnight? (I know I'm a day late, but I don't actually care.) Rated T because I swore like, once.


**Third Person Omniscient**

Jade West didn't make new year's resolutions. As far as she was concerned, they were just empty promises you make to yourself, and were therefore quite pointless. But her good friend, Beck, seemed to think otherwise. He even had one pre-made for her. The hard part was getting her to agree to it.

* * *

**7:43 PM**

"Why can't this be the year? That gives you 365 days to act on it," Beck argued. He thought it was a pretty good point. His ex didn't.

"I'm not telling her! Not in 365 _billion_ days! Tori's straight, she'll just laugh at me," Jade cried out.

Beck sighed as he sat down next to his friend. "Tori would never laugh at you." As he watched the tears forming in her eyes, Beck did something that he didn't want to do. But you know what they say: Secrets, secrets are no fun, unless you share with everyone. "Jade- you're wrong. About Tori. She's… she isn't straight either." Slowly, Jade turned towards Beck.

"Who told you _that?_ And why didn't you tell me earlier?" she asked suspiciously. Beck grimaced to himself. There was no going back now. _Oh well, _he thought._ At least it's for the best._

"Tori told me herself after the PMA's. She made me promise not to tell, but here I am… telling. It's a circumstantial sort of thing, you know? Now seemed right," Beck struggled to explain. Jade, with a sudden look of determination, nodded her head.

"I'll do it," she whispered, barely audible though the room was nearly silent.

"I know you can," Beck encouraged her with a one-armed hug. "Now let's get going, or we'll be late to Tori's party." Beck had had to pick her up for the youngest Vega's New Year's Eve party because Jade's car wouldn't start, and there wasn't enough time to fix it. The car ride was peaceful, much unlike the party they were headed to.

* * *

**8:04 PM**

"Hi Beck! Hi Jade!" Tori greeted them eagerly.

"Hi Tori," Beck said with a slight wave.

"Vega," Jade said, holding the girl's gaze for a bit longer than necessary. Tori was snapped out of it by the abrupt change in songs, and gestured for her two friends to enter. The party was huge; the majority of the school was there. Beck left to find the snack table, leaving Jade alone with Tori.

It took everything the youngest Vega had to keep her eyes from wandering. To say the least, Jade was more than a little dressed up for the occasion. The raven-haired girl was quick to take notice of her frenemy's failed struggle.

"Like what you're seeing, Vega?" she teased, and those five words were enough to cause a miniature panic attack for poor Tori.

"I wasn't- um, I… sorry Jade," she stuttered nervously, her cheeks bright red. Jade could be mean, and now was the perfect opportunity, but… at the same time, she knew that Tori would by mentally kicking herself all night long if she didn't set things straight. (Actually, bad wording. Nothing about Jade and Tori is straight.)

"It's okay, Tor. I was kidding," Jade said, accepting the half-Latina's apology and lessening her embarrassment. On an afterthought, Jade reached for Tori's hand. Tori looked down, and (with some confusion) accepted the gesture. A billion thoughts ran through Tori's mind, most of which were about Jade, and none of which were about armadillos.

"You're holding my… um, why?" Tori struggled. Jade shrugged.

"I dunno, Vega. Why not?" The small smile on Jade's face as she spoke these words comforted Tori, who smiled back 10x bigger.

* * *

**11:37 PM**

"Am I late?" Sikowitz asked when Beck answered the door.

"Nah, the ball doesn't drop for another 20 minutes," Beck estimated. The teacher stepped inside and looked around. Everyone seemed to be having fun. André was talking to a pretty girl, Robbie and Rex were chilling with their Northridge girls, Cat was reenacting Finding Nemo with Goldfish crackers, Jade was laying on Tori, the shruggers were shrugging… _wait_. Jade West was _LAYING_ on Tori Vega. The lover of coconuts watched as Jade reached up and fed Tori a chip, both girls laughing. He had to investigate.

"How's it going, girls?" Sikowitz asked as he popped up from behind the couch. Tori jumped slightly, startled by his sudden appearance.

"Good, just feeding this idiot because she's a lazyass," Jade answered, feeding Tori another chip.

"Wow, someone's in a good mood," Sikowitz observed. This was getting weirder by the minute.

"She is!" Tori agreed, tapping Jade's nose. "I like it; she's being nice to me." Jade nodded, although she felt a bit guilty upon hearing this. To say that the teacher was surprised would be an understatement. Then again, teenage girls DO tend to get a bit gay late at night, right? That IS normal, RIGHT?

"Well, it's good to see you two girls getting along," Sikowitz commented. "Does this mean you're friends now?"

"No," Jade stated firmly.

"What?! But you're- and then… why not?!" Tori practically shouted. Jade broke eye contact and started to play with the hem of her dress. A slight blush crept across her face.

"I don't want to be _friends_, you see... I, um…-" Jade was cut off abruptly.

"Hey guys! The countdown's about to start! Grab your boy or squirrel and get ready to kiss at midnight!" Tori called to her guests. She then turned her attention back to Jade. "Sorry, what were you saying?" Jade reconsidered as she felt her stomach fill with butterflies.

"It can wait… I'll tell you later," Jade decided shyly. Tori frowned, but didn't argue. Jade sat up as the countdown began, not moving from Tori's lap.

**10**

Jade had an idea.

**9**

It was a risky idea. She couldn't do it.

**8**

Oh, but she just HAD to do it!

**7**

What was the worst that could happen?

**6**

She could be laughed at, humiliated, and outcast...

**5**

That's a slim chance though...

**4**

Would it be worth it?

**3**

Hell yeah it would!

**2**

Probably…

**1**

It's now or never.

**0**

Jade grabbed Tori by the shirt and slammed their lips together, knowing immediately that she had made the right decision. It didn't take Tori long to kiss back, and when she did, it was like heaven. Vanilla lip gloss mixed with strawberry Chapstick and made a delicious strawberries and cream flavor. When they finally separated, all eyes were on them. Jade realized this in complete and utter horror.

"I need to go outside and… feed the birds," Jade said, running for the patio door. She hoped that no one had seen the tears in her eyes as she ran away, because now she was letting them fall freely.

Tori ran after the raven-haired girl, managing a simple "BRB!" as she shut the door behind her.

"It's okay, Jade! They aren't judging, they're just surprised! You surprised them, that's all. Don't cry, oh _please_ don't cry!" She pulled Jade into a tight hug, and slowly but surely, Jade stopped crying. "Hey- wanna tell me what you were saying earlier?"

"I was hoping- maybe we could just… skip the friend zone?" Jade managed, staring at her feet. Tori's smile as she registered Jade's words was figuratively a mile wide (not literally, that would be nightmare inducing).

"Yes! Of course! …I mean yes, I want to do that." Jade smiled through her blurry makeup.

"Good," she said. "You better."

"Oh, and Jade?"

"Yeah?"

"Happy New Year."


End file.
